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"I guess this is how the West was won," Clinton said after her victory.
AP Photo

LAS VEGAS — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won her second straight victory in the contest for the Democratic nomination Saturday, winning a Nevada dogfight that seemed to set the stage for an increasingly rancorous campaign between her and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Her margin over Obama — Clinton led by just under 6 percentage points with about 98 percent of precincts reporting — was a convincing victory in a state whose most important player, the Culinary Workers union, endorsed Obama and pressed hard for victory.

Obama won the delegate count, however, earning 13 delegates, compared with 12 for Clinton, according to Associated Press projections. No national delegates were actually awarded Saturday; caucus-goers were technically choosing delegates to the county convention.

The vote was also a devastating crash for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who had won substantial portions of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire, but was headed toward winning under 4 percent of the delegates in Nevada.

The results reflected the key demographic realities that are coming to define the primary contest, according to early exit polls and observations. Exit polls showed 65 percent of Hispanic voters supported Clinton, while 83 percent of the state’s smaller number of African-American voters largely backed Obama.

That’s a trend that is likely to favor Obama in the next contest, on Jan. 26, in heavily African-American South Carolina and in some large states, like New York. But it could bode well for Clinton in other upcoming states with large Hispanic populations, notably California.

Clinton was also aided by a caucus in which more women — who heavily supported her — participated than men. More than 120,000 people took part, according to the state Democratic Party.

“I guess this is how the West was won," Clinton told cheering supporters after the caucus results became clear.

Obama campaign manager, David Plouffe, was far more pointed in a written statement that accused the Clinton campaign of "an entire week's worth of false, divisive attacks designed to mislead

caucus-goers and discredit the caucus itself."

The caucus fight began in earnest at a genteel debate in Las Vegas Tuesday at which Clinton and Obama both stepped back from the racially divisive politics of the New Hampshire battle and its aftermath.

But then, the two campaigns dove headlong into the mud. Clinton charged, without firm evidence, that the Culinary Workers union was intimidating its workers into supporting Obama.

Then, Obama appeared to call his recent words on racial harmony into question by tacitly sanctioning a Spanish-language radio advertisement aired by the Culinary Workers’ parent union, UNITE HERE.

“Hillary Clinton does not respect our people,” began the ad, which also said that Clinton “has no shame.”

Obama had attempted to use his life story to connect with Hispanic Nevadans, airing an ad that reminded viewers that his father came from Kenya and casting his message of hope in immigrant terms, as “the hope that brought you or your parents to this country.”

But as casino workers gathered at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip to caucus, many immigrant voters wore Clinton buttons and carried Clinton signs.

"She's got more experience," said Reyna Wann, a cocktail waitress and union member who went with Clinton. "I love [Obama], but he can come back in eight years."

Wann, a member of the Culinary Workers, said she hadn’t experienced any of the intimidation of which the Clinton campaign had warned, and which several non-union workers said they saw at play. She also said she thought her union should have held an internal vote before its leadership chose Obama.

“She’ll have the support of her husband,” said Mexico-born Humberto Valencias, 48, who works in Bellagio’s guest services division. “Two brains are better than one.”

An Obama supporter at the Bellagio angrily blamed Clinton’s win on the fact that many women support her.

“If I was wearing a dress and a wig, maybe I’d be supporting her too,” said Anthony Edwards, a worker at MGM who said he thought a woman could not be elected in November.

Edwards flew from Nevada to Oklahoma Friday to continue campaigning, while Obama left the state Saturday for a rest in Illinois. Clinton, for her part, celebrated her victory at the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino, thanking workers for putting her over the top.

Do I feel disappointed that Obama lost or do I feel relieved that the fight in Nevada is finally over? Or maybe both? Got to wish now that Obama can win in South Carolina or the time for change could be gone.

Bad news for the Obama cult. Good news for the Republicans, even though I believe Obama is not nationally electable anyway. His entire campaign is fragile at best hidden behind grand abstract speeches. If you are an Obama supporter, you better pray he beats her overwhelmingly with not only black voters. It now gets psychological for Obama and his 'movement.'

Got to wish now that Obama can win in South Carolina or the time for change could be gone.

He will win... but you will see more racial division. He will be a black candidate. Hillary has the women and Hispanics.. black voters can not carry him past South Carolina. Soon, many people will start jumping off of his ship except for the hard core.

The turnout in Nevada was enormous. According to WashingtonPost.com, their reporting and polling indicates that culinary workers were resentful of their union for efforts to suppress their votes if they were for Hillary. Despite the media circus against the Clintons, culinary union voters felt that it was the Obama forces who were suppressing their votes--as Bill Clinton had argued in the face of attacks by the press. I have never seen a more unfairly reported campaign, and 51% of the nation, in a CBS/NYTimes poll thinks the media have been unfair in their reporting about Hillary. (Only 12% think the same about Obama.) It is about time for the press to report in a more neutral and disinterested fashion. They have become advocates and public relations flaks more than reporters or analysts.A significant number of "analysts" have either been transparent in their support for Obama (e.g., Donna Brazile) or have virtually declared their support (Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, NBC's Obama correspondent). People are voting for Hillary because they are enthusiastic about Hillary. We are the voters. Get over it.

Here's a thought from my wife. We are NH Independents who voted for Mitt. She thinks the "last minute" deciders, huge numbers, both in NH and now other states, especially among women, really look at it this way: Would I rather have the first woman or the first black as President? It's clear what the women have decided. The exit polls confirm this behavior as well, but not the reason. There you have it.

Hillary won nevada when she said no woman is illegal. that was an amnesty signal and she won the latino vote handily. I'm ready to throw up looking at that smug b**** Ann Lewis on TV crowing over the win. I can't stand the thought of her and Lanni Davis being in our face for the next four years spinning the Clinton lies.

The Clinton's, especially Bill, are the only ones rolling in the mud. The Obama campaign had nothing to do with the UNITE ad, which was a fair responce to the bogus lawsuit tacitly supported by the clintons. Also, you forgot to mention the Clinton's as the source of a great deal of misinformation (lies) about Obama.